King and Lionheart
by sheriffgrahams
Summary: AU "Can you tell me the story about when you slayed the dragon?" David and little Emma play make believe.


**Dedicated to emily (spunkyswan on tumblr), because she _loves_ her charming family feels. so here ya go em ;)**

**disclaimer: nothing here you recognise belongs to me**

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David had barely put his feet on the ground before something barrelled into his legs, the sheer force almost knocking him over. He grabbed onto his horse's saddle to steady himself before looking down at a tiny blonde whose arms were wrapped securely around his waist.

"Daddy daddy daddy, you're home!"

The stresses from the past few days were immediately forgotten as he bent down to pick up his little girl and hold her close.

"Hi sweetie, I missed you", he murmured softly as he closed his eyes and breathed in her familiar scent.

Emma giggled and pressed her lips against his cheek before encircling her arms around his neck.

"I missed you too daddy."

He held her a moment longer, reveling in the joy of being with his daughter, before letting her slide to the ground. He motioned to the stable crew standing a few feet away to take his horse back to his stall before taking Emma's hand in his.

"I hope you didn't come down here alone," he eyed her sternly. Emma pouted.

"No, Mamma's over there". She pointed in the direction of their castle and David could see his wife standing further up the hill by the gate, arms crossed, and watching them with a smile. He smiled and waved back before stopping, crouching down, and patted the hand that wasn't holding Emma's on his back. Her eyes lit up and she leapt at him, her fingers gripping at his shoulders as her legs wrapped around his side. He feigned a groan as he stood up slowly.

"Someone's getting a bit too big for this."

Emma gasped in his ear.

"No, I'm not! Grumpy says I'm their eighth dwarf and dwarfs are always little _remember_!"

"Right, of course. How could I forget?"

"Mamma says you're not very good with the creatures of this land."

"She's right," he laughed as began to jog, jolting his body with every step so as to bounce her around. Her giggles filled his heart with joy.

"Can you tell me the story about when you slayed the dragon?" Her voice was eager in his ear, and he smirked mischievously. He slowed to a walk and tightened his hands on her legs.

"I was on the edge of a mountain with ten other courageous men", he deepened his voice to sound more dramatic, "All we could see were smoldering rocks and a large cave…"

"Was the dragon in the cave," her words came out in a hushed whisper and he nodded before stopping suddenly and jerked his head to look up at the sky. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Emma do the same.

"Do you hear that?"

He could feel her fingers dig into his skin. "No, what is it?"

"It's a dragon!"

"What?" Emma gasped. "I can't see him!"

He lowered his head slowly, as if to be trailing the dragon and pointed in the direction of a far off tree.

"Right over there!"

Not wanting to miss out, Emma cried out:

"I see him! I see him!" She bounced excitedly and he was afraid for a moment she'd fall off.

"He's coming this way, Daddy, what do we do?"

"We do what this family always does! We fight!" He squared his shoulders, readying himself for battle.

"But what if he hurts me?" Her voice was small, and he hesitated.

"I won't let _anything_ happen to you, Emma", he declared fiercely as he reached his left hand up to reassuringly squeeze one of her little ones.

"I know," she said with such conviction_, _that he was unexpectedly overwhelmed with love and adoration for his little girl. A lump formed in is throat and he coughed to clear it before speaking.

"Are you ready princess?"

He felt her shift to a more comfortable position on his back.

"I'm ready!"

He held an arm in the air and cried: "chargeeeeee!" before taking off running in the general direction of the 'dragon', with his giggling daughter on his back.

When they made it back to the gate, where Snow was still waiting, they were covered in mud and breathing heavily. Emma hopped down off David's back and leapt into her mother's arms. As they begin to walk through the palace gardens, Snow shifted her daughter in one arm and reached down with her other to take David's hand in hers

"Did you see me Mamma? I beat a dragon!"

"I did, princess! I'm so proud of you."

Emma's face lit up and she nuzzled her head into her mother's shoulder, and sighed.

"I'm going to be just like daddy one day."

Snow glanced over at David, whose eyes were wide with surprise, and she chuckled.

"You sure are, baby."

She rubbed her hand comfortingly along Emma's back and before long she heard her yawn loudly in her ear.

"I think it's time for bed, you've had a long day."

As predicted, Emma pushed back from Snow's shoulder and jutted out her lip.

"But I'm not tired," she whined, and quickly covered her mouth with her hand as another yawn gave herself away.

She turned to her father.

"Can we fight more dragons daddy?"

David laughed. "We can tomorrow, sweetheart. I promise."

With a contented sigh, Emma nodded and closed her eyes, resting her head back onto her mother's shoulder.

"I thought you had to visit Eric's kingdom tomorrow?" Snow whispered.

David shrugged, his eyes trained on Emma.

"I can reschedule."

When they reached the castle doors, David turned to Snow.

"Can I put her to bed?"

Snow smiled softly and carefully removed their sleeping princess from her arms into her husbands. As David hugged her close, and kissed her forehead, Emma stirred and opened her bleary eyes to squint up at him.

"Daddy?"

"Shh, it's okay, go back to sleep baby. Daddy's here."

Snow stood back and watched as David carried their daughter up the stairs, her heart almost bursting with joy at the sight before her.

Daddy's little girl.


End file.
